Oxymoron (part one) - an introduction

Oxymoron (part one) - an introduction

In the novel Fever Pitch Nick Hornby describes that being a soccer fan (or as he would put it football supporter) meant that he was a moron for a good portion of the time. Well, I understood that sentiment because I was in an even more moronic of a situation as an American. So, not only was I a moron, but growing up as an American soccer fan it made me more than just a moron, but an oxymoron.

I grew up as one of the Pele Generation. In the recent documentary Once in a Lifetime the phenomenon is clearly spelled out. That was me. I grew up cheering for and mourning the NASL, dealt with years of nothing but indoor soccer, struggled to find any score for my teams, and rarely got to see games on television. During these years I managed to witness the slow rebirth of Pele’s Beautiful Game in this country to where we now have a men’s national team that is expected to go to the World Cup every four years, a solid pro league with teams building really good soccer stadiums, bars that are truly soccer bars, and games and scores easy to watch or find. Times have changed.

But, much like Hornby wrote about growing up as an Arsenal supporter during a period where they didn’t have players like Henry, I thought it would be a good exercise to write a memoir of growing up an American soccer fan. So, I went through old programs, media guides, ticket stubs, and photos and got to work. I have compiled depressingly detailed lists of games and soccer events in my life (why can I remember this sort of thing?). I am going to use this blog to begin the dissemination of some of the material.

Under the heading of Oxymoron, the working title, I will randomly post some of these lists, recount some of these experiences, post some of these photos, and generally disclose just how much of an oxymoron I really am. An example of this sort of writing was evident in the last paragraph of my blog entry responding to the Sports Guy’s Hall of Fame column. Of course, the MFLS, 2010, Seattle Sounders Tryout Article, and Mighty Mighty Panthers entries would also fit the bill ....